Adolescence, Severance, The Studio and The Pitt dominate the 77th Emmy Awards, with surprise nods for Somebody Somewhere and standout wins across drama, comedy and limited series categories
The 77th Emmy Awards, held on Sunday night in Los Angeles and hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, showcased television at its most daring, ambitious, and eclectic. The evening saw Netflix’s Adolescence emerge as one of the most decorated limited series in years, taking home six Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. “We never expected our little programme to have such a big impact. We’re really grateful that it did,” co-creator and star Stephen Graham said in his acceptance speech.
The Studio emerged as the runaway comedy powerhouse, amassing a record-breaking 13 Emmys overall (the most ever for a comedy in a single season), with major primetime wins including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor for Seth Rogen, as well as victories in both Writing and Directing for a Comedy Series. Meanwhile, Apple TV+’s The Pitt pulled off one of the night’s biggest upsets in the drama field, clinching three awards — Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor for Noah Wyle (her first major award in years), and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Katherine LaNasa — beating out favourites like Severance, The White Lotus, The Last of Us and Andor.
Severance still walked away as the heavyweight in drama. Britt Lower won Lead Actress in a Drama, which establishes her reputation as one of TV’s most versatile stars. The series also secured Supporting Actor (Tramell Tillman) and Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette). Apple’s Slow Horses managed a directing win for Adam Randall, while Disney’s Andor claimed the Writing for a Drama Series award for Dan Gilroy, ensuring the Star Wars spinoff did not leave empty-handed. The White Lotus continued its supporting-actor domination with multiple nominations but saw its winning streak broken, earning only scattered nods without taking top honours.
Comedy: The Studio and Hacks take centre stage
Comedy proved equally competitive, with HBO Max’s The Studio crowned Best Comedy Series, a victory that reflected its sharp satire on the entertainment world. Seth Rogen, one of its creators and stars, also picked up Lead Actor in a Comedy, while the writing team scored the Writing for a Comedy Series award.
But the night wasn’t only about The Studio. Hacks remained a reliable Emmy favourite, with Jean Smart adding yet another statue for Lead Actress in a Comedy and Hannah Einbinder securing Supporting Actress. The wins confirm that, four seasons in, Hacks is still one of television’s most lauded comedies.
Also read: Emmy Awards 2025: Adolescence star Owen Cooper makes history at 15
In one of the ceremony’s sweetest surprises, Jeff Hiller won Supporting Actor in a Comedy for Somebody Somewhere. His heartfelt portrayal earned one of the warmest ovations of the evening. Meanwhile, The Bear, Abbott Elementary, and Only Murders in the Building left with nominations but no major prizes, which just shows how crowded the comedy field has become.
Limited/Anthology: Adolescence sweeps the board
If one series defined the Emmys this year, it was Netflix’s Adolescence. The gritty British drama about a teenage boy accused of murder became the first limited series in years to sweep all major categories. It won for Best Limited or Anthology Series, Lead Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress and Writing for a Limited Series.
Supporting Actor went to Owen Cooper, who at just 15, became the youngest actor in Emmy history to win in his category. Supporting Actress went to Erin Doherty, while co-star Christine Tremarco was also nominated. The directing prize went to Philip Barantini, and the Writing for a Limited Series award went jointly to Graham and creator Jack Thorne.
In total, Adolescence claimed a sweep that places it alongside past Emmy juggernauts like Chernobyl and Angels in America. Graham, visibly emotional, accepted the Best Limited Series trophy with a speech that underlined the show’s ethos: “Whether or not you were the executive producer… or you were the fellow that was cleaning the toilets… we were all equal.” The series’ dominance overshadowed competitors like Black Mirror, The Penguin, and Dying for Sex, though Cristin Milioti managed a win for Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her performance in The Penguin.
Variety and specials: Familiar winners
In the variety categories, familiar names were declared winners. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver continued its Emmy reign, winning Writing for a Variety Series and Scripted Variety Series, extending Oliver’s streak as one of the Academy’s most dependable favourites.
The Variety Special (Live) award went to SNL 50: The Anniversary Special, marking a major milestone for the long-running NBC institution. The anniversary celebration beat out splashy competition, including Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show and Beyoncé’s high-profile concert special. Meanwhile, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert claimed Best Talk Series, prevailing over The Daily Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live! and reaffirming its staying power.
Reality: The Traitors triumphs
In reality television, the breakout hit The Traitors was named Outstanding Reality Competition Program, beating established giants like The Amazing Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Survivor. Its mix of psychological strategy and reality drama proved irresistible to both audiences and Emmy voters.
Also read: Adolescence: A terrifying descent into the dark web of misogyny, teenage rage
Several trends emerged from this year’s Emmys. First, the dominance of limited series continued, with Adolescence demonstrating the creative freedom and popularity of the format. Streaming platforms, particularly Netflix and Apple TV+, once again dominated the tally, cementing their central role in prestige television. Second, there was a notable generational shift. Owen Cooper’s historic win proved a younger cohort of actors are able to break through.
The complete winner highlights
- Drama Series: The Pitt
- Comedy Series: The Studio
- Limited/Anthology Series: Adolescence
- Talk Series: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- Reality Competition: The Traitors
- Lead Actor (Drama): Noah Wyle (The Pitt)
- Lead Actress (Drama): Britt Lower (Severance)
- Lead Actor (Comedy): Seth Rogen (The Studio)
- Lead Actress (Comedy): Jean Smart (Hacks)
- Lead Actor (Limited): Stephen Graham (Adolescence)
- Lead Actress (Limited): Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)
- Supporting Actor (Limited): Owen Cooper (Adolescence)
- Supporting Actress (Limited): Erin Doherty (Adolescence)
- Supporting Actor (Comedy): Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere)
- Supporting Actress (Comedy): Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
- Supporting Actor (Drama): Tramell Tillman (Severance)
- Supporting Actress (Drama): Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)
- Writing (Drama): Dan Gilroy (Andor)
- Writing (Comedy): The Studio team
- Writing (Limited): Jack Thorne & Stephen Graham (Adolescence)
- Directing (Drama): Adam Randall (Slow Horses)
- Directing (Comedy): Seth Rogen (The Studio)
- Directing (Limited): Philip Barantini (Adolescence)
- Variety Special (Live): SNL 50: The Anniversary Special
- Scripted Variety Series: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The 2025 Emmys will be remembered for big wins for The Studio, Adolescence and The Pitt. But perhaps more than anything, it was a night that celebrated range: from teenage breakthroughs to veteran triumphs, from prestige streaming dramas to reality television’s unexpected heroes.
